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Recipe – Frontier Cookies

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Oats

A Versatile Grain

Oats are the grain or seed of a cereal grass. They are a general body builder, good for muscles, glands, teeth, hair, and nails, and contain vitamins B1, E and A. The whole grain is often rolled to make rolled oats or cut into thin pieces to make quick oats. These are excellent for making granolas, savory loaves and patties, various bread products and desserts.

While in South Africa, I found a very nice cookie recipe which is healthy and follows the counsel we have in Testimonies, Vol. 2, 352, “Grains and fruits prepared free from grease, and in as natural a condition as possible, should be the food for the tables of all who claim to be preparing for translation to heaven.”

Recipe – Frontier Cookies

Ingredients

1+ cups of water

1 cup of sunflower seeds

1 cup of raisins

1 cup of fine coconut

2 Tbsp. of honey

Juice of one lemon

2 cups of quick oats

Process

Place all ingredients, except the quick oats, into a blender and blend until smooth. Add a little more water if needed. Pour the liquid ingredients into a bowl and add the oats. Mix well. Use a heaping tablespoon of dough and flatten slightly with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Baking time can vary according to the size of the cookies. Makes approximately three dozen cookies.

This is a good basic recipe to garnish. Add carob chips or place a dried cherry in the center top of each cookie.

What Can We Depend On?

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Is there a dependable way to tell the difference between truth and falsehood? You certainly cannot trust what people say or what they profess to be. What is the one thing, the only thing that you can depend on more than your senses?

Today there is a belief that everyone in the world eventually will be saved, but nowhere do we find such an assurance in the Bible. In fact, Jesus Christ Himself taught just the opposite. In the Sermon on the Mount, He said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many that go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13, 14. Jesus said that the way that leads to eternal life is narrow and few will go that way, but He is also saying that the majority of people in the world will go down the broad road, which leads to destruction.

Luke 13:24 says, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” The reason is because they cannot take their sinful desires, pleasures, and ambitions with them.

People are in danger of being deceived by teachers of falsehood who are telling them that they don’t need to take such a narrow road, that the broad way will still end up all right. Jesus knew that these deceivers would rise up and seek to draw people away from the narrow path, telling them that they could take the broad road and still have eternal life, so He immediately gave the warning that there are people in this world who intend to deceive: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” Matthew 7:15–20

Notice how we can tell the difference between truth and error: “We are not bidden to prove them [false teachers] by their fair speeches or their exalted professions. They are to be judged by the word of God.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, 145. When we read the context of this verse, we find that it is a strict warning against listening to spiritualist manifestations or supernatural apparitions, or people claiming to speak for the dead or being spirits of the dead. But look what Isaiah 8:20 says, “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

So what is the one and only thing we can depend on more than our senses? It is the word of God.

The wise man Solomon said in Proverbs 19:27, “Cease listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.” What message are we listening to? Is it a message that leads us to fear and reverence God, to love Him, and obey His commandments? If we do not feel the weight of the moral law, if we make light of any of God’s precepts, if we break one of the least of His commandments, we will have no place in heaven, and our claims to be religious teachers will be without foundation, because the teachings that encourage disregard and disobedience of God’s law originate with the prince of darkness, the enemy of God.

So, not all who call themselves Christians are actually Christ’s people. “[S]uch are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:13–15. Paul is saying here that there are false apostles who pretend to be teachers of righteousness and apostles of Christ, but they actually are serving another master. Jesus says the same thing in Matthew 7:21–23. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ ”

Note, these people call Jesus, “Lord” and themselves His children. These are not people who just come and sit in the pew at church; they are Christian workers. They have “prophesied” in His name and believe they have the Holy Spirit and the gift of prophecy. They have “cast out demons” and worked many miracles in Jesus’ name, and yet He says, “I never knew you.” How can that be?

God’s word, the Bible, tells us that there is a great spiritual battle going on in this world between two supernatural forces. Christ is one of these supernatural forces, but there is another. This force is Satan, and while his methods sadly have met with much success over the millennia, he still has lost battle after battle in this spiritual warfare. Now he has decided to join the winning side and present himself as Christ.

The Biblical word antichrist simply means someone that stands in the place of Christ. Satan is coming to stand in the place of Christ, and anyone serving the antichrist will believe that they are serving Christ. The apostle Paul is very clear on this point, “I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!” 2 Corinthians 11:3, 4

Paul fears that teachers will come teaching a different Jesus than he and others have taught, and as a result, the people would receive a different spirit, all the while believing they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Paul says they will preach a different gospel and they will bring to you a spirit that we did not bring to them. So what is this different gospel?

The gospel as taught by Jesus will set a person free from the power of sin in their life. He that “… commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not remain in the house forever, but the Son remains forever. If therefore the Son shall make you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:34–36, literal translation. The apostles preached this gospel.

We find that Paul preached this gospel in chapters 6 and 8 of Romans. John preached it in 1 John 2:3, 4: “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” John, considered so loveable and so soft-spoken, did not mince words when speaking to those who claim to be a Christian, but choose to live in violation of the law of God. James is just as clear, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble [offend] in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.” James 2:10–12

The people of God in the last days are those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12), but friends, there are many who are in great danger today of thinking that they are Christians while living in sin, and we must be vigilant lest we become like them.

In this world, we are accustomed to doing things mostly right or just right enough to get by, but that is not God’s way. Remember what we found in James 2? “Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” A person cannot be a New Testament Christian unless they follow Jesus all the way. Jesus says in Luke 14:33, “[W]hoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” We cannot take any of the riches or material things of this world into the kingdom of heaven. Only one thing can be taken from this life to the next and that is our character. Everything else we possess here will be burned up. God will create a new world for His children to live in.

New Testament Christianity gives a person victory over their besetting sins and the power to live a new life. So, a person who claims to be a Christian, but is living a life of sin, is in reality a lawbreaker. These are the people who believe they are Christians and are following Jesus, and yet believe they can break God’s law. They will expectantly come to Jesus believing that they are saved, waiting to hear the words “Well done,” but instead they will hear, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” Matthew 7:23, last part

They believe they are serving Christ and have the Holy Spirit, and that they are following the gospel, but imagine what a terrible shock it then will be to hear Jesus say He doesn’t know them, because they have instead been serving another Jesus, following a different gospel, being led by some other spirit. There are many people today, as there were when Jesus first spoke these words, who want eternal life, but to them, the price seems too great. Obeying Jesus in everything will cause them to suffer some kind of a loss in this world. We find this described in the story of the rich, young ruler (Mark 10:17–22).

As Jesus closed the Sermon on the Mount, He gave a forceful illustration describing the future destiny of all. “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” Matthew 7:24–27

Do you see the difference? Does your life conform to what Jesus has said or not? Seven hundred years before Jesus came to this world, Isaiah said “The word of our God shall stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8. And many years after the Sermon on the Mount was preached, Peter quotes these words from Isaiah: “But the word of the Lord endures forever. This is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” 1 Peter 1:25

When you receive the gospel, you are building on the sure foundation that will last forever, the one and only thing you can depend on, the word of God. This is what the world needs. Whoever builds on it is building upon Christ, and in receiving His word, we receive Christ, the only steadfast and sure foundation. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” Matthew 24:35. The great principles of the law of God, the very nature of God Himself, are enshrouded in the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:11, “No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” And Peter said in Acts 4:12, “[T]here is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” This is the only foundation upon which we can securely build. Building on Christ is obeying His word. He says that if we obey Him, we will be like the man who built his house on the rock, and when the storm came the house did not fall. But if we hear what He says to do, and do not obey, then we will be like the man who built his house on the sand and when the storm came, his house was utterly destroyed.

Holiness is the result of surrendering all to God and doing His will. Jesus places the salvation of man, not upon profession merely, but upon faith that is made manifest by works of righteousness. Doing, not merely saying, is required and expected of the followers of Christ. It is through action that character is built (James 1:22–25).

There are many people today who want to be followers of Jesus Christ, but they don’t know how to start. They know very little about the Bible. There is darkness all around them, and they do not know how to find the light. No matter how little a person may understand about God’s word, it is necessary only to ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. We must choose to obey and follow Him. We must set our hearts to obey Jesus Christ and acknowledge Him as the Lord of our lives. The more we follow Him, even if we only know a little, the more light will come. As we build on God’s word, our characters will be made after the similitude of the character of Christ. The path of the righteous, the path of the just, is like a shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day.

Jesus is the living Stone, the sure Foundation. His life is imparted to all who build upon Him and do His words. Peter said, “[Y]ou also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house … .” 1 Peter 2:5. And Paul said, “[I]n whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.”  Ephesians 2:21. The living stones become one with the Foundation because a common life dwells in all. That building cannot be overthrown. Every other building built on any other foundation will fall. If we build our characters on human ideas, opinions, forms, and ceremonies, then our building will be destroyed by the fierce tempests of temptation.

But right now, today, before the tempest comes that will end this world’s history, the Lord says, “As I live, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn, from your evil ways! For why will you die?” Ezekiel 33:11.

Do you desire to be a follower of Jesus? The Lord wants to save us and He will save us if we are willing to turn to Him and follow Him with all our heart.

[Emphasis supplied.]

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Health Nugget – The Necessity of Health Reform

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All who are expectantly watching and waiting for the final events that will soon transpire on this earth have need of a great work to fit them for the coming of the Lord. In Maranatha, 119, Sister White says, “God’s elect must stand untainted amid the corruptions teeming around them in these last days. Their bodies must be made holy, their spirits pure. If this work is to be accomplished, it must be undertaken at once, earnestly and understandingly. The Spirit of God should have perfect control, influencing every action.

“The health reform is one branch of the great work which is to fit a people for the coming of the Lord.”

How, then, are the bodies of God’s elect to be made holy, their spirits pure? “In the words of the apostle Paul there is a depth of meaning: ‘I beseech ye therefore, brethren, by  the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God’ (Romans 12:1, 2). No one can bring honor to God if he pursues a course of action that will bring blemish upon the body or the soul. Our sacrifice is to be holy and without blame. This is the reasonable service of everyone.” In Heavenly Places, 192

Solomon speaks about the renewed heart in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep your heart [mind] with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

“Diligent heart-keeping is essential to a healthy growth in grace. The heart in its natural state is a habitation of unholy thoughts and sinful passions. When brought into subjection to Christ, it must be cleansed by the Spirit from all defilement. This cannot be done without the consent of the individual.” The Youth’s Instructor, March 5, 1903

The ultimate blessing of diligent heart-keeping is explained in The Desire of Ages, 181: “We can receive of heaven’s light only as we are willing to be emptied of self. We cannot discern the character of God, or accept Christ by faith, unless we consent to the bringing into captivity of every thought to the obedience of Christ.  To all who do this, the Holy Spirit is given without measure.”

Health Reform and the Third Angel’s Message

“The health reform is closely connected with the work of the third message, yet it is not the message. … Its place is among those subjects which set forth the preparatory work to meet the events brought to view by the message; among these it is prominent.” Testimonies, Vol. 1, 559

“Again and again I have been instructed that the medical missionary work is to bear the same relation to the work of the third angel’s message that the arm and hand bear to the body. Under the direction of the divine Head they are to work unitedly in preparing the way for the coming of Christ.” Ibid., Vol. 6, 288

God’s Purpose for the Health Reform

“The work of health reform is the Lord’s means for lessening suffering in our world and for purifying His church. Teach the people that they can act as God’s helping hand by cooperating with the Master Worker in restoring physical and spiritual health. This work bears the signature of heaven, and will open doors for the entrance of other precious truths. There is room for all to labor who will take hold of this work intelligently.” Testimonies, Vol. 9, 112, 113

“He who cherishes the light which God has given him upon health reform, has an important aid in the work of becoming sanctified through the truth, and fitted for immortality.” Maranatha, 119

Dear friend, may God richly bless us as we live out the principles of health reform, and help others to understand the importance of them, as we prepare for the final events of this world and the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

 

O for a heart to praise my God,

A heart from sin set free,

A heart that always feels Thy blood

So freely shed for me.

 

A heart resigned, submissive, meek,

My dear Redeemer’s throne,

Where only Christ is heard to speak,

Where Jesus reigns alone.

 

A humble, lowly, contrite, heart,

Believing, true and clean,

Which neither life nor death can part

From Christ who dwells within.

 

A heart in every thought renewed,

And full of love divine;

Perfect and right and pure and good,

A copy, Lord, of Thine.

 

Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart,

Come quickly from above;

Write Thy new name upon my heart,

Thy new best name of Love.

 

A hymn by Charles Wesley

Question – How do you set your affections on heaven?

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Answer –

“Put yourself under discipline to Christ. Be led by His word. Heed His instruction, ‘Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls’ (Matthew 11:29).” This Day With God, 290

“When God’s people take their eyes off the things of this world and place them on heaven and heavenly things they will be a peculiar people … and their lives will show to those around them that the Spirit of God is controlling them, that they are setting their affections on things above, not on the things of the earth.” Maranatha, 322

“There is within the worldly man a craving for something that he does not have. He has, from force of habit, bent every thought, every purpose, in the direction of making provision for the future, and as he grows older, he becomes more eager than ever to acquire all that it is possible to gain. …

“All this energy, this perseverance, this determination, this industry after earthly power, is the result of the perversion of his [man’s] powers to a wrong object. … Their object is for earthly gain, and to this end they direct all their energies. O that this zeal would characterize the toiler for heavenly riches!” The Faith I Live By, 170

“When temporal matters absorb the mind and engage the attention, the whole strength of the being is engaged in the service of man, and men look upon the worship due to God as a trifling matter. Religious interests are made subservient to the world. But Jesus … requires that men shall subordinate temporal interests to the heavenly interests. He would have them cease to indulge in hoarding up earthly treasures, in spending money upon luxuries, and in surrounding themselves with all those things which they do not need. He would not have them destroy spiritual power, but directs their attention to heavenly things. …” Lift Him Up, 128

Nature – The Donkey

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The donkey is a member of the horse family, although they are often stockier, stronger, and have much different personalities. Their surefootedness and strength make them the ideal beast of burden. They can carry up to twice their own body weight and are still used for transporting goods and as a mode of transportation all around the world. Evidence that these hard workers have been hauling goods can be found as far back as the fourth millennium BC in Egypt.

They are not as easily startled as horses, but when they are, they tend to take a moment to assess the situation, the result of a much stronger sense of self-preservation than horses. This is why they are often considered to be stubborn, refusing to do something they consider to be dangerous. Studies of their behavior are limited, but donkeys appear to be quite intelligent, cautious, friendly, playful, and eager to learn.

Working donkeys can live 12–15 years in poorer countries, but in more prosperous countries their lifespan can be 30–50 years.

Donkeys have a very loud voice. Their bray lasts for several seconds and can be heard a very long way away. They also have large ears. Donkeys can be as tall as 63 inches at the withers (shoulder) and can weigh over 1,000 pounds. They have a line of darker hair that starts at the top of the head and runs to the end of the tail. This is then crossed at the withers with another darker line of hair, forming a cross.

Donkeys are called by different names including burro and ass. Burro is a Spanish term for the common working donkey in Spain and Mexico. The word entered the English language when Spaniards brought them to America in the 1500s. Ass comes from the Latin phrase asinus and is found most often in some versions of the Bible, in particular the King James Version (KJV). For example, “If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.” Exodus 23:4

One of the most well-known events in the Bible involved a donkey—Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This event can be found in all four gospels (Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19 and John 12).

“Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, “The Lord hath need of them,” and immediately he will send them.’

“All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying ‘Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, …’ So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.

“Then the multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying, ‘Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ ” Matthew 21:1–9

Sources: Wikipedia, howstuffworks.com and readamyelizabeth.com

Keys to the Storehouse – God So Loved the World

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John 3:16 is a scripture known throughout the Christian world and likely well beyond it.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Whoever believes in Jesus does not have to die, because He sacrificed Himself so that all who could accept the gift of everlasting life might have it.

It is also true that Jesus accepts us as we are, with no expectation, but the idea that “as we are” stops there is not supported by Scripture.

I’m often frustrated by the fact that we pay so little attention to verse 17, particularly given the amount of conversation regarding acceptance and tolerance in terms of how the world uses “what would Jesus do” as a defense to continue living in sin.

“God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Jesus accepts us, but He doesn’t leave us the way He found us. He doesn’t save the world in its sin; He would save every human being out of the world from their sins. This is accomplished once a person realizes that he or she is a sinner in need of a Saviour. They repent from their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Forgiveness is given and the life is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit enabling them, moment by moment, to choose not to sin anymore. (See Acts 3:19; 2 Peter 3:9; Matthew 9:13; Ezekiel 18:32.)

Jesus accepted sinners, but He never tolerated sin. Example after example is given in the Bible of this principle. The Samaritan woman. Mary Magdalene. David. Peter. Saul who became Paul. Judas.

“… Looking upon men in their suffering and degradation, Christ perceived ground for hope where appeared only despair and ruin. Wherever there existed a sense of need, there He saw opportunity for uplifting. Souls tempted, defeated, feeling themselves lost, ready to perish, He met, not with denunciation, but with blessing.

“… He declared that those were blessed who, however great their need, would receive His light and love. To the poor in spirit, the sorrowing, the persecuted, He stretched out His arms, saying, ‘Come unto Me, … and I will give you rest.’ Matthew 11:28.

“In every human being He discerned infinite possibilities. He saw men as they might be, transfigured by His grace … . Looking upon them with hope, He inspired hope. Meeting them with confidence, He inspired trust. Revealing in Himself man’s true ideal, He awakened, for its attainment, both desire and faith. In His presence souls despised and fallen realized that they still were men, and they longed to prove themselves worthy of His regard. In many a heart that seemed dead to all things holy, were awakened new impulses. To many a despairing one there opened the possibility of a new life.” Education, 79, 80

This is how Jesus saves. No one will be able to retain their sinfulness and then somehow miraculously be changed at the last moment to make them worthy of heaven.

Our dear Saviour, help us to believe that You do accept us as we are, but that You will raise us out of our despair and ruin, and that through Your grace You will give us a new life, free from sin, changed into Your likeness.

Inspiration – A Time of Trial Before Us

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A season of great trial is before us. It becomes us now to use all our capabilities and gifts in advancing the work of God. The powers the Lord has given us are to be used to build up, not to tear down. Those who are ignorantly deceived are not to remain in this condition. The Lord says to His messengers: Go to them and declare unto them what I have said, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.

The time is right upon us when persecution will come to those who proclaim the truth. The outlook is not flattering; but, notwithstanding this, let us not give up our efforts to save those ready to perish, for whose ransom the Prince of heaven offered up His precious life. When one means fails, try another. Our efforts must not be dead and lifeless. As long as life is spared, let us work for God. In all ages of the church God’s appointed messengers have exposed themselves to reproach and persecution for the truth’s sake. But wherever God’s people may be forced to go, even though, like the beloved disciple, they are banished to desert islands, Christ will know where they are and will strengthen and bless them, filling them with peace and joy.

Soon there is to be trouble all over the world. It becomes everyone to seek to know God. We have no time to delay. With earnestness and fervor the message must be given: “Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Isaiah 55:1. “Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.” Isaiah 56:1, 2

God’s love for His church is infinite. His care over His heritage is unceasing. He suffers no affliction to come upon the church but such as is essential for her purification, her present and eternal good. He will purify His church even as He purified the temple at the beginning and close of His ministry on earth. All that He brings upon the church in test and trial comes that His people may gain deeper piety and more strength to carry the triumphs of the cross to all parts of the world. He has a work for all to do. There must be constant enlargement and progress. The work must extend from city to city, from country to country, and from nation to nation, moving continually onward and upward, established, strengthened, and settled. Testimonies, Vol. 9, 227, 228

Story – Living in a Lighthouse

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How would you like to live in a lighthouse on a rocky island several miles out in the ocean? The island is so rocky, and the wind sweeps over it so fiercely, that not even a tree can find a place to grow. Wild storms dash the waves up on the rocks until they have worn great chasms in the cliffs.

No one lives on the island except the one family who keeps the lighthouse. You would have no children to play with except your own brothers and sisters. There is no schoolhouse, no store, no church—not another house but the one in which you live with your father and mother. Would it be a lonely place?

Yet, when Celia Thaxter was a little girl, she lived in just such a place as this. Her home was on one of the Isles of Shoals, a few miles off the coast of New Hampshire, one of the New England states. The lighthouse towered ninety feet above the waterline. Celia with her two younger brothers came to live here when she was five years old, and this was her home until she grew to womanhood.

But these children were not unhappy. To them the lighthouse seemed like some tall black-capped giant. They were filled with wonder when the lamps in the great tower were lighted and the red and gold lights swung round and round high up in the air.

Everything was strange and fascinating to the children. They liked to be lulled to sleep at night by the murmur of the great sea that encircled them. Sometimes for months, the waves dashed so furiously upon the rocks that no boat could land. So it was necessary to have enough food in the house to last the family until they could go to the stores on the mainland and buy more.

As there was no school on the island, Celia and her little brothers were taught by their father, who was a fine scholar. Often in the long winter evenings, he read to them from the best literature, and in this way Celia learned to love good poetry.

On warm spring days, the children played on the beach and gathered shells and wildflowers. Celia soon learned to know the name of every flower that bloomed on the island. They were her dearest friends. There was just one fern on the island, and this she tended with loving care.

Not many birds built their nests on the island, because there were no trees. But the little sandpipers built their nests on the ground. They were Celia’s playmates. They looked upon her as a friend. In one of her poems she tells about one of these birds that ran back and forth on the beach with her as she gathered driftwood for a fire (see on this page).

Celia spent many happy hours in watching the sailing vessels. The fascination of their wondrous grace and their mystery never lost its thrill for her. She seemed to absorb the beauty of her surroundings—the ever-changing colors of the sea; the soft skies overhead; the pools that were like bits of fallen rainbow; the wealth of the sea; filled with wonderful treasures—starfish, sea anemones, fairy shells, and all the interesting sea life.

Once after a storm the sun suddenly broke forth, and a rainbow seemed to stretch right out of heaven into the sea. Celia’s heart swelled almost to bursting with the glory of it, and she hid her face from the wonder. It was more than she could bear. She longed to speak the things which made life so sweet—to speak of the wind, the clouds, the birds’ flight, the sea’s murmur. The wish grew, and so it was that she became a poet, expressing all these things in word pictures so beautiful that they are like the work of an artist’s brush.

Celia married a man who was a missionary to the fishermen. Then, after a wonderful year of travel in Europe, she went to live on Appledore, another of the Shoal Islands. Here she had the most wonderful garden. Artists came to paint it, and she wrote a book about it called “My Island Garden.” Once, a great army of bugs and slugs descended upon her garden and began to eat it up. She wrote to some children who were her friends, to catch some toads for her. One day, a big box arrived, and when she opened it, there sat one toad in a box of dirt! She thought there must be a scarcity of toads on the mainland, or else it was a joke. But she carried the box out to her garden and put it down. In a few minutes little bright eyes began to poke up out of the dirt. There were ninety toads in the box! And they ate up all the bugs.

Celia Thaxter sleeps now on lonely Appledore, with the music of the waves always sounding over her grave. But the music of her poems about the sandpipers and the sea still lives to charm us with their beauty. As we read them, let us think of the little girl who lived in the lighthouse long ago.

Goals, True Education Series, Book 5, ©1933, 34–37

 

The Sandpiper

Across the lonely beach we flit,

One little sandpiper and I;

And fast I gather, bit by bit,

The scattered driftwood, bleached and dry.

The wild waves reach their hands for it;

The wild wind raves, the tide runs high,

And up and down the beach we flit—

One little sandpiper and I.

I watch him as he skims along

Uttering his sweet and mournful cry;

He starts not at my fitful song

Nor flash of fluttering drapery.

He has no thought of any wrong;

He scans me with a fearless eye;

Stanch friends are we, well tried and strong.

The little sandpiper and I.

 

Comrade, where wilt thou be tonight

When the loosed storm breaks furiously?

My driftwood fire will burn so bright!

To what warm shelter canst thou fly?

I do not fear for thee, though wroth

The tempest rushes through the sky;

For are we not God’s children both,

Thou, little sandpiper, and I.

Celia Thaxter

The Two Great Disappointments – Will There be a Third?

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Twice in the experiences of God’s people, great disappointment struck. The reason? The study of the Scriptures was not foremost in their experience. They chose instead to rely on the framing of God’s word by short-sighted leaders. Let’s look at two of these so that we may have help in dealing with future disappointments.

The disciples of Christ were brought up and indoctrinated with a certain view of the Messiah and His mission. For several generations, God’s people were taught to expect a conquering deliverer. The Christ they envisioned would wrestle the reins of power from their conquerors and restore the majesty and supremacy of the Jewish nation. So much was this the case, that the disciples of Jesus believed, even after nearly three years with the Master, that He would one day set Himself up as king of Israel.

At the first meeting with Jesus, Nathanael said to Jesus, “ ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ ” John 1:49. Although this was factual in the larger sense, it shows a pattern of thought from the very beginning of their walk with Jesus. Later, pride and arrogance took root in their hearts as they argued among themselves who should be greatest. “Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.” Luke 22:24. “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ ” Matthew 18:1

Even John, the “disciple who loved Jesus,” and his brother vied for supremacy over their brethren. “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, ‘Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.’ And He said to them, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ They said to Him, ‘Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.’ ” Mark 10:35–37. These unconverted men still had to learn that love for God means total submission to His will. As you can imagine, all of this did not set well with the rest of the disciples. Satan uses our basest emotions and desires to lead us away from God into his realm of supremacy. Contention and adversity are his tools. He successfully used them in the day of Jesus, and he employs them even more successfully today.

This mindset concerning superiority helped set the scene for the disappointment that the disciples would feel when Jesus was crucified. Their eyes were fixed on the greatness of Israel as the ears failed to listen to the reproofs of Jesus and the clear instruction that He must lay down His life for mankind’s salvation. They loved Jesus so much that their minds could not bear the thought of His death. However, if they had listened closely to the Master, they would have heard the words, “They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” Luke 18:33

Many times, we bring trouble on ourselves because of preconceived ideas or because of a heart that is not fully bent to the will of God. God allows us to be disappointed and He chastises those He loves to bring them into conformity with His will. We let outside events affect the way we think or react instead of realizing that these are all distractions brought on by Satan to divert our attention from what is truly important. For the disciples, it took the death of their Master and His resurrection to bring into focus what the teachings of Jesus were all about. These men finally were subdued under the power of the Holy Spirit and their hearts were converted.

Over 1800 years later, God’s people were again brought under trial. They had again been indoctrinated with the false doctrine of Satan and their minds were dulled by conformity to the world. False teachings that the earth was the sanctuary of God blinded their eyes from seeing what was clearly written in Hebrews. “Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.” Hebrews 8:1–2

The Sabbath had been lost sight of under the influence of the churches of the world. Clear scripture was overlooked as if God did not really mean what He said when He proclaimed His law. In remembering the law of man, they forgot to remember the law of God. Again, clearly written in His holy law was “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8–11

Diligent Bible study had not been performed by God’s professed people to know His truth and will. Again, they relied on their leaders to guide them and assumed that they would know better than anyone what the truth was. And why not? Were they not the ministers of God? Should they not have known the truth to present it correctly to the people? How deceived we allow ourselves to become by not being like the Bereans and search the Scriptures to see if these things were true (see Acts 17:10, 11).

When the prophecies of Daniel were explained in detail and God’s people saw that a timely event was about to happen, they were then immediately interested. Many flocked to hear the words of the Bible and to listen to the prophecies of the return of Jesus. If they had known that this prophecy was not about His return, would the interest have been so high?

In the time of the disciples, the excitement of Jesus’ coming into Jerusalem and the exultation of the people thinking He would crown Himself king was similar to the fervor of activity that occurred in 1844. People flocked to the churches, selling off all that they had in expectation of the soon return of Jesus. Yet they did not look deeply into their hearts to see if they were in conformity with the Scriptures.

As with any religious movement, some are stirred by deep love for Jesus, but if we look at the result after the disappointment, the majority fell by the wayside and lost all hope. The results of false expectations are evident in both the experiences of the Jewish people and of the Advent movement. The Jews in Jesus’ day continued with their now worthless rituals and sacrifices and denounced Jesus as a false prophet.

When the time prophecy was completed in 1844 and Jesus did not come to gather His people, great despair swept over the people who were claiming to be Christ’s followers. Many forsook their convictions and either gave up totally on their Christian faith, or went back to their false religious teachers. They found comfort in their false hopes, as many do today. Similarly, during the great disappointment, people went back to their old ways of life and spoke against the prophecies of Daniel.

After the great disappointment, the word was preached with the power of the Holy Spirit, just as it had been following Jesus’ resurrection. Those who remained faithful and believed in the accuracy of the time prophecy gathered together to search the Scriptures to see where they had erred. In fervent prayer, they humbled themselves before God and asked for His guidance to understand their mistake. When they become teachable, then God sent His Holy Spirit to open for them the deep truths of God’s word. These individuals realized that they needed divine guidance and poured out their hearts in much prayer and with much study until God opened their eyes to the truths that were plainly written.

How often we want God’s help but do not apply the effort through study and prayer. Even today we still have our preconceived ideas of the return of Jesus.

In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a revival and reformation movement within Adventism that went around the world. Elder Ron Spear and others traveled worldwide preaching revival and reformation and showing from the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy what needed to happen in our lives if we were going to be ready for Jesus to come. Every revival and reformation is either growing or declining—revival and reformation cannot be stagnant.

The revival and reformation movement in Adventism reached a high point in about 1990 and then entered a period of decline. Shortly after 2000, it had totally collapsed in the United States. Why did this happen? There are several reasons, but one is for the same reason that the second advent movement collapsed in 1844. There were those who expected that certain final events leading up to the second coming or possibly the second coming itself would occur before the year 2000. Various dates such as 1987, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1996 or 1997 were proclaimed far and wide by both Adventist preachers and laymen as significant dates for Christ’s return (based on jubilee cycles and other Biblical dates). But when these dates passed with no significant event or Christ’s coming, the revival and reformation movement collapsed.

What will be the result if, as in ages past, we miss the last great event that is to happen on earth because we did not study His holy word? Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. … This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.” John 6:48, 50. By eating this bread, which is the word of God, we make it part of ourselves and only then can God bring it back to memory in our times of trouble. If we do not know God’s truth for ourselves, when the great trial comes upon all mankind we will be deceived and end up in ruin.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:24, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Many of God’s people today believe they will not be deceived. They have studied the prophecies in the past and are satisfied that they know the events that will happen before Christ’s return. They find no need to look at it again, and like the Jews of old, they are set in a belief that their leaders will not lead them astray. Yet, this is the very thing that Peter warns us about in his epistles. “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.” 2 Peter 2:1

Some may say “our leaders do not deny Jesus, but teach His goodness.” Paul gave a warning to the Galatians when he said, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.” Galatians 1:6, 7. I have had the opportunity to visit churches in America and the Philippines. What I have seen over the years has astounded me. These are God’s professed people, yet their services are whittled down to traditions and religious forms, none of which glorify the Lord. Yes, they speak of Jesus, and yes they use scriptures and excerpts from the Spirit of Prophecy, but the content left me dry and unfed.

My wife and I have often gone home after some Sabbath sermons and spent time reading or listening to the Bible because we felt we had just been starved in the service. We have witnessed evangelical services, catholic-style preaching, and sermons on how to stay safe from Covid or some other disease. Little was mentioned of Jesus, nor were our hearts convicted of sin. The Holy Spirit was absent from the service. How do I know that? Because Jesus plainly said, “And when He [the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” John 16:8

Will there be a third great disappointment? The answer is yes. The difference is that then there will be no chance to repent and claim the grace of Jesus. Probation on this earth will be closed and those who are found wanting will lose the most precious gift God ever gave mankind.

For over 6,000 years God has poured out His love to us. He has sent holy angels to guide us into His truth. In the sacrifice of His Son, God gave us heaven’s most precious gift and He promised His Holy Spirit to all who would submit to His will.

We talk a lot about freedoms in America and other countries, yet the one freedom that will give us eternal life is the one that is rejected. In the end, civil freedoms that can be given or taken away will not matter. They are the distractions of Satan to divert our minds from what is truly important—the cleansing of our souls through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. This will be an everlasting freedom; this washing of our character will transform us to be fit for the kingdom of God. That is the only kingdom I care to pursue.

Prepare now so that you will not be involved in a third great disappointment.

Michael C. Wells is the director of Anointing Oil Ministries.

Choices

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Scripture tells us that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38, 39

Other scriptures tell us how much He loves us:

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you … .” John 15:16

“… God from the beginning chose you for salvation … .” 2 Thessalonians 2:13

“[J]ust as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world … .” Ephesians 1:4

“We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

While nothing can separate us from the love of God, we can be separated from God. “When Christ took human nature upon Him, He bound humanity to Himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself.” Steps to Christ, 72

Satan will have us believe that there is no God or that if He does exist, He is a capricious, uncaring, vengeful being who is so apathetic about us that He watches from a distance, delights in our pain and misfortune, and that He even causes the difficulties that we face, sitting back to see how we will do on our own. But the Bible says that this is not true. The Bible says that God is in heaven and He loves you and that nothing can separate you from that love.

“In the work of redemption there is no compulsion. No external force is employed. Under the influence of the Spirit of God, man is left free to choose whom he will serve.” The Desire of Ages, 466

“God does not control our minds without our consent; but if we desire to know and to do His will, His promises are ours: ‘Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ ‘If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of the teaching.’ John 8:32; 7:17, R.V. Through faith in these promises, every man may be delivered from the snares of error and the control of sin. … Every man is free to choose what power he will have to rule over him.” Ibid., 258

“The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened.” Ibid., 22

“Though created innocent and holy, our first parents were not placed beyond the possibility of wrong-doing. … He [God] gave them the power of choice–the power to yield or to withhold obedience.” Education, 23

“The will is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or choice. Every human being possessed of reason has power to choose the right.” Ibid., 289

“It is not God’s purpose to coerce the will. Man was created a free moral agent. Like the inhabitants of all other worlds, he must be subjected to the test of obedience; but he is never brought into such a position that yielding to evil becomes a matter of necessity. No temptation or trial is permitted to come to him which he is unable to resist. God made such ample provision that man need never have been defeated in the conflict with Satan.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 331, 332

Again and again, the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy tell us that God loves us and wants us to love Him. He has given us the ability to either freely choose to love Him and keep His law or not. God created this world and mankind, but He knew that we could choose to give our love and service to another and in so doing, we would forfeit our lives because transgression of His law brings death (Romans 6:23). If man was to be saved from death, there had to be a plan, and so He made one.

“The plan of salvation had been laid before the creation of the earth; for Christ is ‘the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.’ (Revelation 13:8) … . ” Ibid., 63

“Before sin created the need, God had provided the remedy.” Education, 113

“That which in the councils of heaven the Father and the Son deemed essential for the salvation of man, was defined from eternity … .” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 408

“Everything that God could do has been done in behalf of man. Every want has been anticipated; every difficulty, every emergency, has been provided for.” Ibid., 251

“The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of ‘the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal.’ Romans 16:25, R. V. It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God’s throne. From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan, and of the fall of man through the deceptive power of the apostate. God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for the world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, ‘that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ ” The Desire of Ages, 22.

God’s plan is perfectly expressed in the beloved scripture, “For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16, 17.

So it was always in God’s mind that His creation—man—would be with Him. He created him in His own image, after His own likeness (Genesis 1:26, 27). He intended that man should always be perfect, but if man made another choice, God had made a way so that he could be restored again to the perfect relationship that he held in the beginning with the Father. This is the plan of redemption. This is God’s choice. God reconciling, saving the world unto Himself.

“The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning.” The Desire of Ages, 311

“In the beginning God created man in His own likeness. He endowed him with noble qualities. His mind was well balanced, and all the powers of his being were harmonious. But the Fall and its effects have perverted these gifts. Sin has marred and well-nigh obliterated the image of God in man. It was to restore this that the plan of salvation was devised, and a life of probation was granted to man. To bring him back to the perfection in which he was first created is the great object of life—the object that underlies every other. …” Patriarchs and Prophets, 595.

It is God’s only purpose in this world to see that each and every man, woman, and child who will choose to be saved is saved. But while God is seeking man’s good, Satan is seeking his ruin. (See Education, 23.) Simply put, Satan wants you dead. He does not want you to choose to be in a relationship with God. He seeks only to destroy (John 10:10). He seeks to devour (1 Peter 5:8). He is a murderer (John 8:44).

God is seeking to save and Satan seeks to destroy. What is the result? War! Not the type of war fought with tanks, planes, guns, drones, bombs, and ships, but a war nonetheless, a great controversy for souls: yours and mine.

“The very first effort of Satan to overthrow God’s law—undertaken among the sinless inhabitants of heaven—seemed for a time to be crowned with success. A vast number of the angels were seduced; but Satan’s apparent triumph resulted in defeat and loss, separation from God, and banishment from heaven.

“When the conflict was renewed upon the earth, Satan again won a seeming advantage. By transgression, man became his captive, and man’s kingdom also was betrayed into the hands of the archrebel. Now the way seemed open for Satan to establish an independent kingdom, and to defy the authority of God and His Son. But the plan of salvation made it possible for man again to be brought into harmony with God, and to render obedience to His law, and for both man and the earth to be finally redeemed from the power of the wicked one.” Ibid., 331

Salvation is a free gift, created and administered by God, freely given to all who would accept it and apply it to their lives. As with any gift, it serves no purpose if it is not accepted or if it is accepted, but not opened. The following allegory may provide a good example to more clearly explain this point:

A young man is preparing to go off to college for the first time. With not-so-great subtlety, he suggests to his parents how much easier taking notes in class would be if he had a laptop. The big day comes and they load all of the young man’s things into the car and drive him to college. They spend the morning moving him into his dorm room and exploring the campus, but the time comes for the parents to head home. During their goodbyes, the father tells his son that they left on his desk a gift that they hope he will find useful for his studies. When the young man returns to his room, he sees the gift, wrapped in pretty paper and a bow, but he doesn’t open it, moving it instead to a shelf in the bookcase and goes on.

A couple months later during a conversation with his parents, the young man is bemoaning how difficult classes are, especially since he has to take notes by hand. The father brings up the gift (which was the requested laptop) since the son had never mentioned it. The young man admits that he found the gift, but he had never opened it. It was still on the bookcase shelf. How much easier his early college experience would have been had he opened the gift and used it.

And so it is with the plan of redemption. Unless we accept the gift and allow it to have a transforming effect in our lives, it is of no more value than the laptop on a shelf in a bookcase still wrapped in pretty paper and a pretty bow.

“Every soul has a heaven to win, and a hell to shun. … All the help Christ received, every man may receive in the great trial. The cross stands as a pledge that not one need be lost, that abundant help is provided for every soul. We can conquer the satanic agencies, or we can join ourselves with the powers that seek to counterwork the work of God in our world.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 96

[Emphasis supplied.]

Judy Rebarchek is a member of the LandMarks team. She may be contacted by email at: judyrebarchek@stepstolife.org